A Dozen Writers Seleceted to Attend Sundance's January Screenwriters Lab

With the complete lineup for next month’s film festival set, the SundanceInstitute has announced the twelve projects and screenwriters that willparticipate in the annual Screenwriters Lab which will be hald January 15 –20, 1999 in Sundance, Utah. Each script and will be developed with thewriters and a group of estabished writers at the workshop.

Off-Broadway stage star John Cameron Mitchell will be in Utah with thescreen adaption of his popular musical, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” Alsomaking the trip will be 1998 Sundance award winner Darren Aronofsky (“Pi”)with a new project entitled, “Requiem for a Dream.” Other notables includeLynn Hershman Leeson (“Conceiving Ada”) with her new project, “The Memoirsof Elizabeth Frankenstein” and Leslie McCleave (“Bliza Bargeld Stole MyCowboy Boots”) with her new script, “The Shamrocks.”

A complete list of participants follows:

“The Business of Strangers” — writer/director Patrick Stettner

Stettner’s first feature tells the story of a successful businesswoman andher new assistant stuck in an airport hotel. Their playful hell-raisingturns dangerous when they ancounter an executive who the assistantidentifies as the frat rat who raped her in college.

“Down to the Bone” — writer/director Debra Gralnick

A exploration of the difficult romance between Irene, a long time drug-userand mother of two, and Bob, a recovering addict living in upstate New York.

“59” — writer/director Attica Locke

In an East Texas truck stop town, two bodies wash up in a bayou — a blacklawyer from Chicago and a local white girl. The lawyer’s wife follows herhusband’s trail to this seemingly sleepy town and must unearth the mysteryof his death, if at all, to that of the local girl.

“Hedwig and The Angry Inch” — writer/director John Cameron Mitchell

A cinematic adaptation of the Off-Broadway musical which relates the storyof an “internationally ignored” East German transsexual pubk chanteuse whoexperiences sudden notoriety thanks to a tragic incident involving herteenaged rock star protege.

“Hell” — writer/director Perry Lin

A psychological horror film in which a doctor and his niece have fledrevolutionary Cuba to lead a new life in America. Basking in his newfoundsuccess, he proudly raises her into a beautiful young woman…only todiscover that what he desires is not the American Dream.

“Making Uncle Tom” — writer Stacey Adair

The inspiring story of two black men, one an angry firebrand comedian, theother an assimilist actor. Together they embark on an exploration ofpersonal identity, community responsibility and redemption in the making ofthe controversial film version of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

Cultures clash and friendships fray as a raucous team of Irish nanniesdominate the New York women’s soccer league.

“Silent Raven” — writer/director Princess Peter-Raboff

In an attempt to redeem himself for his father’s death, a young Native boyfinds himself struggling between the dualities of a modern Western societyand his own Native heritage. The game of basketball becomes his only meansof expression.

“Stringbean and Marcus” — writer/director Tanya Hamilton

The mysterious death of ten year old Iris’ Black Panther father is broughto light when an old Party friend returns from exile in Cuba.